


if i

by Anonymous



Category: VICTON (Band), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Feels, Kid Fic, M/M, Mechanic Hangyul, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Seungyoun-centric, Tailor Seungyoun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25532449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Seungyoun met Hangyul at an auto shop and realized not only his car needed fixing.
Relationships: Background Do Hanse/Lee Dongyeol | Xiao, Background Han Seungwoo/Kang Seungsik, Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Lee Hangyul
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Anonymous, Different Pools Fic Fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was written for Different Pools Fest, Prompt #127:
> 
> Mechanic!AU where office worker Seungyoun only wants to get his car fixed but finds his life tangled up with Hangyul, the handsome, self-assured mechanic along the way.
> 
> This chaptered work is currently in progress and I wanna thank the fest mods AND the readers for being patient with me. I am invested in finishing it and I hope you guys can accompany me until the end :')

"Here you go."

The sudden voice jerked Seungyoun out of his vacant thoughts. His hand automatically reached out for the offered object before his mind could catch up to it.

The can of coffee was cold against his palm. Seungyoun stared at it blankly for a few seconds before looking at his new companion, who had settled down beside him and popped open a can of his own.

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

Indeed it had been. Seungyoun had woken up with a severe headache, one that could be attributed to way more than a single night of fitful sleep. He had arrived at work to a mountain of revisions that required his immediate attention and another very long message from Chan, who had apologized (for the fourth time) for taking the week off and leaving Seungyoun to deal with that mess alone.

It was his job anyway, Seungyoun had reminded himself, but some days were just harder than others and today it seemed like the world had all conspired to make him feel utterly miserable. Work had finished so late he had had to cancel his dinner plan with Yoonhee again - the only thing he had been looking forward to the whole week. And when he had been driving home alone at midnight and seen that damned anniversary notification popup, he had decided he had held back enough.

Driving while having a teary breakdown was ill-advised. Driving in the rain while having a teary breakdown was just pure reckless. Next thing Seungyoun knew, his car had veered off the main lane and skidded down the muddy roadside slope. His instinctive slam on the break had only managed to make things worse. Seungyoun had watched in horror as he and his car uncontrollably descended further and further down the slippery surface until the front crashed against something that made the car come to a stop.

Seungyoun had not even attempted to get out and examine the damage. He only managed to apply the handbrake, pull out his phone to search for the nearest emergency roadside service, and hope for the best. After his heart had stopped threatening to burst through his chest, that was.

2 AM found him the way he was, drenched from head to toe after trying to help the two responders that turned up in getting his car unstuck and towed back to their garage. Wooseok had said he would need another fifteen minutes to come to pick Seungyoun up. "Hanx Auto Service in Sangdo," Wooseok had repeated the name with great familiarity, and as soon as the call ended, Seungyoun's mind ceased to process any more information.

The coffee can seemed like a lifeline now, not that he planned on drinking any coffee at this ungodly hour. Seungyoun turned the can round and round in his hands, feeling the cold metal tingle against his skin.

"You alright?"

The man spoke again, and Seungyoun belatedly realized he had offered no response so far.

"Ah- sorry, I'm just-" he stammered, unable to provide a proper explanation and settled on, "yeah, it's just been a long day."

The mechanic hummed at that, no longer looking at Seungyoun. He visibly let out a sigh and leaned back on his left arm, broad shoulders relaxing, filling out the bright orange uniform splattered with mud. In the garage's stark white light, he seemed younger than he sounded, dark hair with red streaks falling over his cheekbones, eyes bright and alert despite the tiredness he must have felt. Not that his face showed any sign of it.

When the man threw his head back and downed the rest of his coffee, Seungyoun found himself staring.

He made himself look away and decided it was his turn to continue the conversation. There was a lump in his throat when he tried. Seungyoun masked it with an awkward cough.

"Thank you for coming so quickly. To be honest, I'd already lost hope after the fourth number didn't go through."

The man nodded slowly in acknowledgment.

"Hmm, I imagine the emergency service dispatchers would get lots of calls on nights like these. This rainy weather can be quite dangerous for driving, not to mention all the road constructions going on."

"Ah, yes, that was," Seungyoun grimaced, "very careless of me. I shouldn't have tried taking that new route home. Especially not in this weather."

"It's alright, it happens," the man shrugged, "I'm glad you aren't injured, but we do need some time to give your car a more thorough check. I'll try to push it forward in the list, but we are swarmed with pick-up appointments for the next few days. Do you have a garage that is covered under your warranty? We can take the car to them."

Seungyoun didn't. Or, he did have one, but the mechanics were a goofy bunch who weren't so good at their jobs. More importantly, the whole receptionist team knew Yoonseo by name, and they were very, very good at gossips.

He'd rather never go back.

"I can pick the car up later next week. I suppose she deserves that rest, I haven't taken her out for maintenance in months," Seungyoun said with a tentative smile, "Please treat her well."

The man definitely looked younger now with his toothy grin.

"We will make sure she gets the quality treatment she deserves. It's late now and I think Hanse changed the computer password so I can't log your details. I'll just tell him to contact you tomorrow. Cho Seungyoun-ssi, right? We'll call the number you used just now?"

"Yes, please. Was Hanse-ssi the one who came with you?" Seungyoun said, recalling the other tall man with doe-like eyes and a vaguely confused expression.

"Yeah, no, Hanse and Yohan really do not look alike at all." The mechanic suppressed a laugh and Seungyoun understood he was missing out on an inside joke. "I guess you could say Hanse is kinda the owner here. 'Hanx' Auto Service? Yeah. I think Yohan already retired upstairs. We've been short on staff these past weeks and he had been on call the whole day."

Wooseok's call came just then. Seungyoun muttered a quick "I'll be right out" to him before turning his attention back on his companion.

"Ah, in that case please help me thank him too, later, um..." he browsed his memory, trying to remember whether the mechanic had already said his name. Lucky for him, the man got the idea at once and saved him the trouble.

"It's Hangyul. I think I forgot to introduce myself."

"Hangyul-ssi, yes," Seungyoun jotted the name down in his head, "Thank you, I'll get going now. Please rest well."

"You too, Seungyoun-ssi, today's been hard on you."

The young man- no, Hangyul, said those few words like he genuinely meant it, completed with a light bow. It made Seungyoun suddenly conscious of the way his chest tightened and he bowed too, before making his quick exit.

His feelings had been confused way too many times today.

* * *

"You look like shit," Wooseok commented, matter-of-factly, as soon as Seungyoun finished buckling his seat belt. It startled a laugh out of him.

"I _feel_ like shit. Better now that my best friend is here to drive me home, but still."

"I don't get labeled a best friend for nothing, do I?" Wooseok said as he pulled out of the driveway, his grip on the steering wheel relaxed and effortless. For someone who used to make Seungyoun chauffeur him everywhere in their twenties, Wooseok had changed a lot.

Now that Seungyoun felt a little more awake, he noticed something else had changed.

"When did you get a new car?"

"Last time we met was Chuseok, Seungyoun." Wooseok rolled his eyes, but coming from him, it could be considered an affectionate gesture. "A friend of mine knew some imported car dealers and got me a good price. Subin? He worked at the garage just now. Not that tall, small face, huge eyes, very cute?"

Seungyoun stifled a laugh - that's exactly how other people would describe Wooseok on a first meeting.

"I don't think your friend was there. The ones who came to tow my car were Hangyul and- Yohan, I think."

"Ah, those punks," Wooseok smirked. That, too, was a gesture of affection. "They are good at their jobs. You've got nothing to worry about if your car's in their care."

"You seem to know them well."

"I have a five-year maintenance contract with them. The owner is a long time friend. We used to hang out in the same group in university."

The name Hanse now sparked some memories for Seungyoun. "Wait, it's that Hanse, right? The friend you said was a fan of Seungwoo-hyung's designs."

"Yeah. I used to do group projects with his boyfriend all the time. Haven't had the time to catch up with them in a while though," Wooseok sighed, "Do you think two months are too late to get a new suit tailored?"

 _Damn it. Is it only two months left till June?_ Seungyoun honestly had forgotten. To be frank, Seungyoun couldn't even remember Hanna's face that well. The last time they met was almost a year ago, the double date dinner when Wooseok and Hanna announced their wedding plan. Seungyoun had just been too immersed in his turbulent thoughts to pay attention.

It was difficult not to mull over the irony of congratulating your best friend on his marriage, while you and your partner had been ready to end yours only a month after.

Wooseok must have figured out what Seungyoun was thinking about from the lack of a timely reply, but he didn't call him out on it. He just hummed a tune as he drove through the sleepy streets of Seoul, a man of few words and endless patience. Sometimes Seungyoun just couldn't believe his luck.

It was a minute before Seungyoun asked, "How's the wedding planning going?"

Yeah, that. Part of the changes Seungyoun kept noticing in his best friend over their twenty-five years of growing up together. Wooseok was a family-oriented man now. He moved from one life goal to another with apparent ease and "perfect timings." Completing his degrees, getting a stable job that paid his bills and more, gaining a favorable position at a workplace he committed to, and now at the age of 33, having someone he wanted to share the rest of his life with.

(It was pointless to compare your life with another, but sometimes when self-pity got the best of him, Seungyoun couldn't help himself.)

There was a small smile on Wooseok's face as he answered.

"Better than I expected, actually. Is it a myth that couples always fight before the wedding because there are so many things to disagree on? Maybe we just found an excellent planner."

"Hyeongjun from 'The 02s', right? The one Seungwoo-hyung recommended?"

"Yeah. Him and Dongpyo, I think. Dongpyo was never present for the planning appointments, but I knew that brat was involved when I saw the color palette options."

Seungyoun chuckled. "You don't outgrow baby blue and pink, Wooseok. I know I never did."

They stayed quiet for a moment. In the dead of night, the road seemed to stretch on forever, the street light never quite bright enough. For some reason, it gave Seungyoun calmness rather than anxiety.

He wondered if it was because of the company. He didn't realize he had missed his best friend so much.

As if he was reading Seungyoun's mind, Wooseok asked, "How's Yoonhee doing in school? I miss my daughter."

Seungyoun grinned to himself.

"I miss my daughter too. We planned to have dinner last night, but-" he just trailed off, Wooseok already knew, "-yeah. Maybe we can all go for lunch next week? She'd love to continue her 10-hour long song recommendation list for your wedding day."

"What would I ever do without my musical genius?" Wooseok's voice was tender. He was always tender when it came to Yoonhee. It warmed Seungyoun's heart, the way his daughter and best friend could have that casual, family-like interaction even when Yoonhee was no longer a little child.

A beat of silence passed before Wooseok asked the real question. "How are you doing then?"

There wasn't a point in beating around the bush when Wooseok was concerned. Seungyoun let out a long sigh at that reminder.

"Well. It's the same. I go to work and get swarmed with projects that Seungwoo-hyung knows I could never have the heart to say no to, just because I need to constantly use my brain for something."

Seungyoun tried not to think about the monstrous stack of references still waiting for him in his studio. He failed.

"I see Yoonhee less now, only when I take her to school in the morning and some odd weekends. And when I pick her up from choir practice on Tuesday and Friday... She's busy with school stuff too… Were we that busy when we were 14?"

"You spent at least 4 hours on the soccer field every day when you were 14, Seungyoun. Your mom used to call me all the time because you never picked up your phone," Wooseok deadpanned. Seungyoun just laughed.

"I think your number is still above mine on her favorite list."

"As it should be," Wooseok said as he made the turn into Seungyoun's neighborhood. His expression turned solemn when he added, "Make sure it stays on yours too. Reach out whenever you need me. I'm still here, Seungyoun."

Seungyoun looked ahead at the familiar rows of high-rise apartment buildings they passed by and felt the weariness of the day bleed out of himself.

"I know."


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the week passed by like a fever dream. Seungyoun bulldozed through the remaining urgent tasks on Friday and requested that his colleagues avoid contacting him over the weekend, which he spent pretty much knocked out cold in his bed. He woke up at 1:27 PM on Sunday with a vague memory of something that required him to get out of the house, and had almost fallen asleep again when his ringtone played.

“Hello, Seungyoun-ssi? This is Hanse from Hanx Auto Service. I contacted you on Friday regarding your vehicle maintenance service?”

_Ah. That._

“Yea- yes, of course. I will come over today at-” Seungyoun’s sleep-addled brain was nowhere near conscious enough to remember what time he was supposed to turn up at the garage. Still, at least he recalled agreeing to that instead of filling in his payment details online.

“Anytime this afternoon is fine. Hangyul is currently out for a job but he will be back before 3. He will tell you more about what kinds of maintenance your car needs and the costs so you’ll have an idea. We can work on the contract afterward.”

Hanse sounded almost… _clinical_ , like an anchor on the primetime national newscast Seungyoun’s mom usually watched in the evening. Seungyoun suddenly felt a little self-conscious, lying in his bed past noon in only his cartoon print boxers. He pulled the blanket up to cover himself, as if the person on the other line could see him.

“I will be there at 3. Thank you.”

“Please don’t forget to bring your car registration document and ID. We’ll see you later, Seungyoun-ssi.”

As the line got disconnected, Seungyoun pulled back the curtains and took a look at his sun-drenched balcony. April was supposed to be the peak of Spring, yet the weather couldn’t be more unpredictable. He wondered belatedly if he should have opted for the online method instead.

But he had agreed to come to the garage to check on his car, hadn’t he? As soon as the option was offered too. He had wondered if Hangyul would be the one to take care of his car as the guy had promised.

For some reason, he wanted to see Hangyul again, not that anyone could force that admission out of him.

* * *

Seungyoun arrived at Hanx a little before 3 PM. The garage looked a lot more lively in the daylight, bustling with customers and workers in orange uniforms. Not finding any familiar faces, he walked past the open shop front and into the office area, which was surprisingly deserted.

“Seungyoun-ssi, right?”

Or not. A striking blonde head popped up behind the reception desk, with only the upper half of the face visible, round, curious eyes that reminded Seungyoun strongly of a cat. He smiled hesitantly.

“....Yes?”

“You’re Wooseok-hyung’s friend.”

“I-I am, yeah. It’s Hanse-ssi, correct?”

Hanse stood up from his position fully and walked out from behind the front desk then. Despite Seungyoun having certain expectations about what he looked like, this not-really-stranger still took Seungyoun by surprise. Loose patterned shirt with three buttons hanging open that did very little in covering his large chest tattoo. Faded blue jeans ripped from his thighs down to his calves and some more. Black nails, but Seungyoun could be wrong about the exact shade. And so, so much metal.

Wooseok used to have a passionate lip ring phase in college. At least now Seungyoun had some idea who that could be attributed to.

“I was wondering if there could be a second devastatingly handsome man named Cho Seungyoun born in 1996 whose car nearly had a vacation in a swamp and somehow ended up in my garage.”

Hanse wore a toothy smile, apparently already warmed up to this mutual friend of Wooseok that he’d never met. Seungyoun could hear the air quotes around _“devastatingly handsome”_ and refrained from asking whose quote it was.

“That would have been too much of a coincidence, I guess. Wooseok mentions you often, it’s great to finally meet you, Hanse-ssi.” Seungyoun returned the smile, wondering if he should offer a handshake. Hanse just didn’t seem like the handshake kind of guy.

“Let’s just go with Hanse, Seungyoun-hyung, if that’s okay.”

Seungyoun hoped his nod didn’t appear too excited. “Yeah, okay.”

“Great! So,” Hanse pointed his thumb towards the desk, “we just finished updating our new security camera system. I’m rebooting the computer to make sure everything’s working as it should. You can just go to the back and talk to Hangyul first. I think he’s already there.”

Hangyul wasn’t. Seungyoun only found his car and another very dismantled one in the back garage, apparently detached from the shop front. The roll-up door opened to a rather nice view, some sort of patio set up on the grass patch on the other side of the driveway. Seungyoun glanced around to find more mismatched furniture that usually did not belong in an auto shop, and something that looked like a makeshift bed with several random items piled on top.

“Oh?”

Seungyoun turned his attention to the person who just came through the garage door and... _Oh._

He thought he had had his fill of staring the other night, but in the daylight, Hangyul’s handsomeness was even more difficult to miss. His uniform was zipped up halfway, the top part let down to bunch around his waist, leaving his upper body in only a white tank top that stretched _way too tight_ over his chest. He looked like he had been sweating, his hair wet, dark patches visible on his shirt. There was a slightly surprised expression on his face that Seungyoun realized belatedly was directed at himself.

“Um, hello. Hanse told me to come back here and see you. About my car.”

Hangyul’s eyes abandoned their contact with Seungyoun to do a rapid scan around the garage (shed? room? Seungyoun wasn’t sure anymore) before they landed on the mountain of stuff in the corner.

“We, uh, don’t usually have customers coming back here,” his voice came out in an awkward laugh, “but I don’t think Hanse considers you one anymore.”

Hangyul said the last part with a smile that made Seungyoun’s heart kick up a notch. He gestured around with one hand while the other fidgeted with his uniform, not sure to put it back on or leave it be.

“Welcome to our workshop. Lounge, I guess. Sorry about the mess. Sejun-hyung was probably looking for his shirt.”

Another name Seungyoun didn’t recognize. He wasn’t sure if it was because he had already been considered a “familiar,” or name-dropping was just another one of Hangyul’s things.

“Ah no, maybe I should have just waited for you at the front.”

“No, I did take your car back here after all. The main garage is auto-locked sometimes and I only have the key to this side. I was working on it late last night.”

Hangyul walked over to turn on the car engine, then got out and popped the hood open. Seungyoun took the signal and moved closer for a better look.

“So technically she was running okay when I test drove it, and the minor touching up work will probably only take one day or two, but this part right here,” Hangyul pointed at a spot on the engine block, “still makes this odd sound that I haven’t figured out why.”

“Ah, that one,” Seungyoun said with recognition, “I think it’s been like that for some time. Five months I think? I asked the mechanics last time but they said it wasn’t a problem? I’ve been driving this one for six years after all.”

“Yeah, I suppose it could be nothing, but I reckon you haven’t taken her out for a long drive since then?”

Seungyoun nodded. Hangyul hummed, his eyebrows pinched, still frowning at the spot in question.

“The problem might come up then, especially if this has anything to do with the radiator. If you don’t need the car back right away, I’d like to spend a few more days looking into that. Maybe I’ll take her to Woojin. He might know what’s wrong...”

It only occurred to Seungyoun then that Hangyul was… talking to himself? Mumbling, mostly, his words trailing off mid-sentence into another long hum as he inspected the motor, apparently no longer aware of Seungyoun’s presence. It reminded Seungyoun very much of himself whenever Seungwoo brought him a new fabric to test. He wondered if Seungwoo thought him being engrossed in his work like that was cute too.

_Wait. No. Backtrack._

“No, I actually don’t need the car right away,” Seungyoun said before he could have any other runaway thoughts, “Thank you for taking care of her. Hanse was mentioning something about discussing costs? I’d prefer it if you could work with him and list out whatever needs to be done. I trust your judgment.”

“Already?” Hangyul’s mischievous smile returned. “What if I paint it pink and add a bunch of stickers and gadgets and the total bill comes up to 1 million won?”

“Then that’s what I get for almost driving myself into a swamp on a rainy night,” Seungyoun smiled back, “but really, was there a swamp?”

“There wasn’t, Yohan was just trying to emphasize how horrible his day was so that Subin would feel bad and buy him food.”

The name-dropping thing was endearing, to think about it. Seungyoun remembered Yoonhee’s first few days in elementary school, her recounting random names and anecdotes of about a dozen new people every day.

“That reminds me, I’m Wooseok’s friend? He was the one taking me home the other night after the accident. He said he’d known you guys for a long time.”

Hangyul’s eyes widened in surprise. “Now that’s what I call a coincidence. Is Seoul really that small?”

“Sometimes I’m glad it is.”

Seungyoun didn’t mean for that to come out in that _demure_ tone, but Hangyul smiled at him fondly like he agreed.

“Uh Hangyul, what are you wearing?”

Both Seungyoun and Hangyul whipped their heads around to see the man who just walked in, wearing the same orange uniform, his hair cropped short and. Those cheekbones. What is this, a beautiful people’s club?

“Your shirt? I already said I’d borrow a tank top since my dryer didn’t work, why did you dig up my whole cabin, hyung?” Hangyul whined.

Another person came in then, her incredible body proportion even more accentuated with the utility belt strapped around her waist and - well, she too was utterly gorgeous. This time Seungyoun was definitely sure there was a conspiracy going on. Who were all these good-looking people working in a random auto shop in Sangdo? He felt like he was standing in the backstage of one of his company’s seasonal runway shows.

The woman tilted her head curiously at Hangyul’s shirt. “I think that’s mine. You can keep it though. It seems already stretched beyond repair.”

Her words drew every pair of eyes in the room back onto Hangyul’s body, as stated, stretching the white material like it’s (at least) two sizes too small. Hangyul’s face colored rapidly, while the other man (Sejun, Seungyoun assumed) broke down into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

“Sorry, Hayoung-noona.”

The woman- Hayoung, walked past them to open up a cabin of snacks and tea boxes, “It’s an honest mistake. I could imagine why you'd think that was Sejun’s. Since he developed those abs he hasn’t stopped buying those tight white shirts.”

“Hey!” Sejun protested, crossing his arms over his chest. The workouts were deserving. Seungyoun couldn’t remember the last time his arms looked anything like that.

“Anyway,” Hangyul gestured at Seungyoun, “This is Seungyoun-ssi. He’s Wooseok-hyung’s friend. It’s his car with the noise problem.”

Sejun and Hayoung said at the same time, “Handsome swamp man!”

Hangyul rolled his eyes, but Seungyoun was already giggling. “Yeah, that would be me.”

His alarm went off then, a loud children’s song that caught Hangyul’s attention. At his inquiring look, Seungyoun said, “I have to go soon. I’ll trust you with the detailed service list? I’ll work on the contract and payment with Hanse now.”

“Of course, Seungyoun-ssi,” Hangyul answered with that one fond smile that made Seungyoun look away, forgetting to ask why Hangyul insisted on keeping the honorific after his name.

He pretended not to notice the playful whispers Sejun and Hayoung were exchanging and Hangyul’s cranky “stopppp” as soon as Seungyoun stepped out of the door.

* * *

Yoonhee was waiting for him at the school gate when Seungyoun arrived just past five. She had her earphones plugged in and was bobbing her head to music when she noticed the car and gave him a light wave.

Even though they met at least twice every week, Seungyoun thought, as his daughter stood up and approached him, he would never get used to her growing so tall and so fast.

“How’s practice today, Yoonie?”

“Hi Dad,” Yoonhee said as she slid into the passenger seat, looking a little chirpier than usual despite the extra Sunday choir session, “It’s alright, we actually managed to finish a whole song today. My part was only like, three lines though.”

“I’m sure they were very difficult lines. Good job today too, kiddo.”

He could feel Yoonhee rolling her eyes at him, out of fondness, of course. The little smile on her lips said it all.

“Why are you driving grandma’s car?”

“Oh,” Seungyoun winced, suddenly reminded of how he pretty much blacked out for the past three days without calling his daughter, “the other night when we were supposed to get dinner? I drove back late and got into an acciden-”

“Dad?!”

“It was minor, I swear! No one was injured. Only the car got a bit damaged so it’s being fixed at a shop right now.”

When Seungyoun glanced to his side, Yoonhee was still squinting at him skeptically. “Yoonie, I swear, Dad was just being careless. I shouldn’t have driven in the rain. I won’t do it again.”

She pouted at him. “You should have called me though.”

Seungyoun reached out his right hand to pat Yoonhee’s hair. He was aware the skinship issue could become more uncomfortable for a child as they grew up, but despite not being an openly affectionate child, Yoonhee never seemed to have any problem with the light touches or his habitual endearments.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s been a bad week at work and I got so caught up in everything,” Seungyoun said, hoping the sincere apology came across, “Let’s go eat something delicious today. Do you still want to get teppanyaki at Cheol-pan Wang?”

Yoonhee drew a long sigh before relaxing back into her seat. Seungyoun had to restrain himself from laughing out loud - she behaved like her grandmother even at 14 years old.

“Jihyo said her family went to a teppanyaki place in Seocho last week and it was great. Can we try that one instead?”

“Of course, look up the address for me, please?”

Yoonhee got her phone out and connected to the Bluetooth speaker first. Soft music started playing and Seungyoun bobbed his head along as he drove, recognizing neither the band nor any words being sung, despite them being (probably) Korean. It was pleasant, though. Car rides with his daughter always were.

“We’re gonna perform this one for our concert, like a special stage.”

“There’s a concert?!” Seungyoun twisted around for a second to look at Yoonhee, “That’s so exciting! When is it?”

His daughter seemed pleased with his enthusiasm. “We’re not sure, maybe in two months. Teacher Kim said she would need to check the available dates at the school auditorium, but Teacher Nam has already started planning our setlist. Jihyo, I and three other people are going to sing this song for the small group performance.”

“Ah!! That’s just so exciting!” Seungyoun was bouncing in his seat a little, “Our Yoonie’s first concert! Will you be embarrassed if I get you a huge bouquet?”

“Dad…”

“Okay, maybe a moderately sized bouquet. With a big red bow.”

Yoonhee did the exasperated-but-fond eye roll again as Seungyoun repeated “our Yoonie, musical genius” over and over in a sing-song voice. The traffic was awful at this hour as usual, but sitting there in the car with her after the last hell week, Seungyoun couldn’t think of where else he would rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korean honorifics are much more complicated than what I choose to use in this fic. Here are a few that might come up:  
> \- Addressing someone formally: "NAME-ssi" (mostly to highlight the difference between people who just met / are not close vs. just the NAME for people who are close / consider each other same-age friends)  
> \- Calling someone older and close to you: the usual "hyung"/"oppa" and "noona"/"unnie" (though I think only "hyung" will appear a lot)  
> I found the English equivalent of (FULL) NAME-ssi to be titles like Mr./Ms LAST NAME but I just found the mood to be different so I kept the Korean one. Hope it didn't make anything confusing!


	3. Chapter 3

For a tailor, Seungyoun sure encountered a lot of emergencies.

Of course, tailor shops have their own shares of tight deadlines. Numerous customers needed immediate alterations. Some requested a special costume within a week. Some came in on a Friday night with a piece of fabric and a Monday fitting appointment. Some demands just sounded outright impossible, but for those who wanted the extra pay and the thrill of challenges, it was all part of the job.

Seungyoun never considered himself an adventurous man. His job just had to do with a lot of references, courtesy of head designer Seungwoo; required so much creativity, so that he could match whatever Seungwoo had envisioned for his pieces; put a test on his patience, whenever Seungwoo convinced him to also assist the backstage fittings at one of his runway events.

“Hyung, I said I really have plans that day.”

“And I trust you, but please, Seungyounie, I can’t trust anyone else for this show. You know you are the best one out there.”

Seungwoo was getting better and better at his persuasive face, Seungyoun noticed.

“I’m just a tailor.”

“A brilliant, talented, phenomenal tailor with the magic touch. You know Namjoo’s team always handles the dressing duty perfectly, but the collection this time has so much embellishment. I’m not saying that they will, but a million things could go wrong, Seungyounie. I can’t do it alone,” Seungwoo finished with a pout.

It’s weird how Seungyoun didn’t find a 35-year-old man pouting distasteful, maybe Seungwoo just had that appeal. Everyone in the agency, Seungyoun included, would hate to admit it, but It was difficult to deny a favor from Han Seungwoo.

“Alright,” Seungyoun relented, “Can I take an extra two days off some other time then?”

He had intended to go on a road trip with Yoonhee the next weekend. It was one of his spur-of-the-moment suggestions because he wanted them to escape the city for a while. Yoonhee had seemed eager to look up a destination, he recalled regretfully. He’d just have to delay it for hopefully a longer leave period. Maybe they could travel to Jeonju. Yoonhee loved hiking the Daedunsan trails, even though the suspension ladder there had always freaked Seungyoun out a little.

Seungwoo’s whoop brought him back to the present.

“Yes! Of course! Thank you, Seungyounie. I appreciate it so much.”

Seungyoun went back to adjusting his pins on the mannequin for a moment before it occurred to him.

“Wait, who would you ask if I hadn’t agreed?”

Seungwoo shrugged.

“I didn’t have any backup plan. If I failed to convince you, I’d simply ask Seungsikie to do the convincing afterward. See if you can say no to his puppy eyes.”

“I am capable of saying no when I see fit,” Seungyoun scowled at his boss, “ _You’re_ the one who can’t say no to his puppy eyes, and Seungsik-hyung is the one who can’t say no to anything!”

“Touché. But you have to admit his puppy eyes are quite powerful. They got us three new major investors in the past month alone.”

“It’s because he’s good at his job. And also you’ve got to keep that besotted expression in check, hyung. It’s visible even during BOD meetings, last I heard.”

He did, from both Sooil and Chan, who spared no details. Seungwoo didn’t even try to deny it, that’s how smitten he was.

Seungyoun was shaking his head in mock exasperation when his phone rang. Not wanting to let go of the folds he was working his pin through, he asked Seungwoo to put it on speaker.

“It’s an unsaved number though?” Seungwoo said, finger hovering over the button.

“It’s fine, hyung- Hello?”

“Is this Cho Seungyoun-ssi? It’s Hangyul from Hanx Auto Service.”

“Ah- Hangyul,” Seungwoo noticed Seungyoun’s slightly flustered voice and quirked a silent eyebrow at him. “Yes, it’s Seungyoun.”

"I just wanted to let you know that your car is ready for pick up. You can come over anytime today."

Seungyoun did a quick mental calculation. Hasn’t it only been three days?

"Oh? That's amazing. I really thought it'd take longer,” Seungyoun glanced at the to-do list scribbled on his calendar, “Well, my work will finish quite late today so I'm not sure. You guys close at seven, right?"

There was a brief pause before Hangyul continued. "Yes, but I'm working the overnight shift today. I'll be at the garage whenever you come. Just give me a call."

Seungyoun looked at his phone screen then and belatedly realized Hangyul was calling him from neither Hanx office number nor their hotline - Seungyoun had them all saved. Personal work number, maybe? Did mechanics usually have those?

"That's… great! Thank you!” Seungyoun said quickly, “I’ll try to finish work before 7:30 and be there asap. Thank you, Hangyul. Ssi."

Hangyul sounded like he was smiling. "Take your time and travel safely. I'll see you later tonight, Seungyoun-ssi."

The call got disconnected then. Seungyoun didn’t even need to turn around to imagine the type of expression Seungwoo was wearing.

" _I'll see you later tonight_ , really? That was your mechanic, wasn't it?"

"He's just… an odd guy,” Seungyoun said, but Seungwoo didn’t look convinced. “I’m serious! You'll get it when you meet him."

Seungwoo perked up at that. "Well, I certainly hope to! Will that be soon?"

Seungyoun threw his (pinless) pincushion at Seungwoo, which the designer dodged expertly. It hit someone else who just walked in instead.

“What was that about?” Seungsik picked the stuffed strawberry up and frowned at the both of them.

“We are meeting Seungyounie’s-” Whatever word Seungwoo was thinking of using, it changed as soon as he saw Seungyoun’s scowl, “-mechanic! A fascinating man!”

“Ignore him, hyung,” Seungyoun said, “I’m going downstairs to grab a coffee. Do you want anything, Sik-hyung?”

Seungsik shook his head, looking sunny as ever. Seungyoun didn’t know how some people could show up as cheerful, functional human beings before 10 AM (or at all), but Seungsik had it down to an art.

“I already had mine. Was just looking for this guy,” Seungsik nodded at Seungwoo, who... really should stop looking like a lovesick fool in Seungyoun’s studio. It’s still so early in the morning. “We need to go over the guestlist for the show next week.”

Seungsik didn’t need Seungwoo for such a task, Seungyoun thought to himself. But what would he know? He was just a tailor.

“Please take him.”

“Save that coffee line for your mechanic, Seungyoun-ssi!” Seungyoun heard Seungwoo yell as he followed Seungsik out the door, and smiled to himself when he caught the designer reaching for his partner’s hand.

* * *

Seungyoun was standing in front of the closed garage at 7:50, as promised. It was another rainy night, and he was lucky enough to both get a lift and an umbrella from Sooil instead of trying in vain to call a cab in this weather.

His boots squelched in the damp grass as he followed the route Hangyul had instructed to the back lounge. The light there wasn’t as harsh as the main garage, only a few overhead bulbs casting a warm glow on the room, which looked a little more organized than Seungyoun had seen it on Sunday. His car was still there in the center, albeit with a vastly improved appearance. The front no longer showed any evidence from a nasty crash, while all the usual paint chips had vanished. It was shiny clean too, Seungyoun almost felt bad he would have to drive it out onto the muddy road later.

“Hey there,” Hangyul stood up from his crouch behind the car when he heard Seungyoun putting away the umbrella. He was wearing another white tank top, more likely his size this time, not that it flaunted his body any less. He stooped down again to finish whatever he was working on before getting up and pulling off his gloves. The soft, familiar smile he directed at Seungyoun did wonders for his mood, the heaviness from his long day at the studio seemingly lifted off his shoulders only by the simple gesture.

Seungyoun hated himself a little for that.

"Hey. Tonight’s your solo shift?" He greeted the lone mechanic.

"Oh, Yohan is upstairs, probably napping. He did the shift last night too. Since Byungchan and Gyujin-hyung went back to school, we've been trying to hire more people who can work night shifts. For now we gotta make do."

Hangyul heaved a sigh at that. Seungyoun nodded in sympathy, mentally filing two more unfamiliar names away for future reference.

"Have you had dinner?"

The abrupt question took Seungyoun by surprise. “Sorry?”

Hangyul didn’t seem fazed. "I thought you wouldn't have had dinner since you'd come straight from work. I ordered a lot of chicken tonight but Yohan said he'd eaten already."

He paused a little to gauge Seungyoun’s reaction, who still hadn’t caught up with where the conversation was going.

"So I was waiting for you to come. To ask if you'd like to join me, for dinner," he finished slowly, as if he was explaining something to a very puzzled child.

“Ah,” Seungyoun let out a sound of understanding, even though his brain was still sluggishly processing the sudden invitation. Was it normal to have spontaneous takeaway dinner with your mechanic after meeting each other two times? Both times for strictly car-related issues, not to mention the man himself was being nice and overall professional the whole time, even addressing Seungyoun with honorifics.

Confused as he was, Seungyoun already knew he wanted to say yes. And that was... something.

"That is so nice of you,” he said apologetically, “but I do have to go tonight. I’m picking my daughter up from her club practice in twenty minutes."

His response seemed to startle Hangyul. The mechanic nodded to himself a few times before smoothing out his features and turning around towards the cabinet.

"Sorry, sorry, Seungyoun-ssi. I must have been holding you back," he stammered a little as he retrieved Seungyoun’s key from a hidden metal box and directed him to the car.

“I got help from a trusted hyung and fixed the noise problem, here, you should try it,” he motioned for Seungyoun to get in and start the engine. As it rumbled to life, the squeaky hiss was completely gone. A quick survey of the car’s inside found it spotless too. Seungyoun raised his eyebrows, impressed, while Hangyul wore an excited grin on his face, “Not bad, right?”

“Thank you. This is awesome.”

“That’s good to hear,” Hangyul said kindly, wiping his hands on his uniform pants. He bit his lower lip for a moment before continuing, "About earlier, I’m sorry, I just- Yohan says I act too familiar with customers. Everyone, actually. You must have found it weird."

Seungyoun replied in a haste, "No, not at all. Trust me, I’d love to stay.” At Hangyul’s doubtful expression, he added, “Really. I suppose I don't run into friendly people like you very often, but it's a nice change."

The soft smile was back on Hangyul’s mouth. "I don't know if it's out of line to say this but,” the man hesitated, “I feel comfortable with you. It just feels like we've known each other for a long time."

His eyes were searching Seungyoun’s face, careful in case of any aversion, yet so hopeful for the admission to be mutual. Seungyoun’s heart swelled. Of course, of course it was. He had never met someone like Hangyul before, and he couldn’t even explain exactly how, considering they barely knew each other.

It would have been too strange to say meeting Hangyul tonight felt like coming home after a tiring day, so Seungyoun settled for, "Let me buy you dinner next time, for everything.” He wasn’t sure why, but he also felt compelled to add, “Can't remember the last time I had dinner with someone besides my mom and my daughter. Text me so I’ll get your number?"

Hangyul's answering grin was blinding.

When he waved Seungyoun goodbye as the car pulled away, his heart felt like it was three sizes too big for his tiny chest.

* * *

They didn’t manage to get dinner that week, or the next week, or at all, to think about it. Their schedules didn’t allow the time. Nevertheless, Seungyoun woke up on Thursday morning with messages from a familiar number. He was right; Hangyul did call him from his personal phone.

Attached was a photo of a tiny cat on a roof, peering down at the camera with a curious tilt to its head.

_met this fella on my way to work today_

_good morning, seungyoun-ssi_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would really appreciate some comments, please? :')


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